Landscaping

Everyone places a different amount of importance on landscaping and lawn care.

Landscaping around your home can help or hurt it, depending on whether or not it is done properly.

Bushes and trees drink a larger amount of water than grass and need to be watered more often. When you look at your landscaping, you need to make sure water is allowed to drain away from your home properly. As you read under FOUNDATIONS, too much water can also cause foundation problems and could also cause your house to be flooded if not properly done. You should never place dirt any closer than two inches below the brick line. Dirt that is too close to the bottom of the bricks may allow water to enter your home. It also allows insects, especially termites, to take advantage of the easy access into your home and you will not even be able to see their tubing. Quite often built-up flowerbeds will cause this situation. If you have built-up flowerbeds, you should consider removing them or adjusting the level of the dirt to keep it below the brick line.

Here are several items to keep in mind when mowing your lawn:

Don’t cut wet grass, it causes uneven moving and messy clippings which can mat and block light from the grass. And, there is also the danger of slipping on wet slopes.

Vary mowing patterns. Mowing the same direction every time tends to compact the soil and causes wear patterns.

Check the blade height by measuring the grass after cutting. St. Augustine grass should be mowed to a height of two to three inches and Bermuda to a height of about one to one and a half inches.

We encourage you not to bag your grass, it will rob your lawn of nutrients and it is also filling our landfills needlessly. If you do not bag your grass, you need to mow at least once a week.

Remember sharp turns with a mower can cause uneven cutting, make wide turns or take advantage of sidewalks and driveways, but be aware of rocks or debris on pavement areas.

If the ground is uneven in some areas because the soil has settled be careful not to scalp the high spots.

Watering

A method you can use to check your yard to see if it needs watering is to take a screwdriver and stick it into the ground. It should go down six inches easily, if it doesn’t, then you need water. Another method some use is to place containers in various places around the yard. Use this method to see if these areas are receiving the proper amount of water from the sprinkler. One thing you need to keep in mind when watering your yard is not to water every day; this causes your grass to develop a shallow root system and it will die off quicker if the watering should stop for some reason. Try watering every second or third day for a deeper and healthier root system.

Fertilizer

People accept the fact that they must mow and water to maintain the health of their lawn. Some may question the need for fertilizer and they shouldn’t. Lawn grasses live in an unnatural environment, crowding the grass plants together making them complete with one another along with neighboring trees and shrubs for water and nutrients. The grass is mowed regularly, which is highly irregular in nature, and their clippings, a source of nutrients are often removed. Because of this competition and the unnatural demands placed on lawns, they need fertilizer for sustenance. When properly fertilized a lawn will maintain good color density and vigor and does not easily succumb to insects, weeds or diseases. When under-fertilized, the lawn is not only less attractive but also is considerably more susceptible to environmental stress and damage. It takes experience and time to care for your yard properly, so if you don’t have the time or experience, it is well worthwhile to have professionals take care of it for you.